Loop-forming machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. O. MILLER.

I LOOPFORMING MACHINE. I No. 429,540. Patented June 3, 1890. I

as cm, muTo-umm, WASHINGTON. v, c

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. O. MILLER. LOOP FORMING MACHINE. I

No. 429,540. Patented June 3, 1890.

. in accordance with my invention.

' UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

IVILLIAM O. MILLER, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

- LOO-P-FO RM l NG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,540, dated June 3,1890.

Application filed April 2, 1889. Serial No. 305,682. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM O. MILLER, of Quincy, in the county of Adamsand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Stapling-Machines forForming Leather Loops, &c.; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, and to the figures and letters of referencemarked thereon.

This invention relates to an improved machine for inserting staples inleather and similar material and for forming loops or rings of suchmaterial, the abutting edges of the material being united by staples,the object of the invention being to produce a machine for performingthe operations mentioned automatically and with great rapidity, and atthe same time a machine of great simplicity, which can be produced andoperated at comparatively little cost.

To these ends the invention consists in a staple holding and drivingmechanism for in-, serting two staples parallel to each other, togeth'erwith staple-receptacles for feeding the staples forward at the propermoment.

The invention further consists in combinin g with a stapling mechanism,preferably such as described, an anvil and jaws for grasping and holdinga leather loop, and, if desired, bending the same into shape for theinsertion of the staples, with mechanism for automatically performingsaid operations and feeding the leather blank and discharging thecompleted loops at the proper times. And the invention further consistsin certain novel details of construction and combinations andarrangements of parts to be hereinafter described, and pointed outparticularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of amachine constructed Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a modification.Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the staple holding and drivingdevices. Fig. 4 is a sectional viewthrough the anvil and loop bendingand holding devices. Fig. 5 is a view of a modified forni offolding-arms. Fig. 6 is another modification of the same.

Similar letters and numerals of reference in the several figuresindicate the same parts.

same time the maximum strength. Working in suitable bearings in theupper end of the standard 1 is the plunger 3, held in elevated 'positionbythe spring 4 taking its bearing on the standard and beneath theenlarged upper end of the plunger, on which the cam or lever 5 forforcing the plunger down rests, the bearing for said cam or lever beingalso in the top of the standard, preferably in eX- tensions 6, Fig. 1.

Mounted on the lower end of the plunger 3 is the block or head 7,capable of a sliding movement up and down, the spring ct serving to keepit normally depressed, in which position the side passages 11, throughwhich the staples enter, are open, as the ends of the arms of theplunger are above them. Said side passages communicate with the centralpassages c, from which the staples are ejected into the leather by thearms of the plunger, as will be readily understood, suitableretaining-sprin gs being arranged therein, of course, to prevent thestaples from dropping out before the plunger descends.

The staples may be fed into the side passages by hand; but in thepreferred construction I provide hoppers 8 8, which may be mounted onthe head 7, but preferably, as shown, only register therewith when theplunger and head are elevated, suitable staple retainin g and feedingdevicessuch as the levers d with the two projections d d extending intothe path of the staples and operated in one direction by the springs eto throw the lower projection in to engage the bottom staple andoperated by the cam surface or projectionf on the head to release thebottom staple and cause the upper projection to engage the neXt stapleabove, being provided for feeding one staple at a time and cutting offthe feed when the plunger and head are depressed.

An operating wheel or disk 9 is mounted on the base at the rear of thestandard 1, to which the power is applied for driving the Various partsof the machine through intermediate levers and appropriate gearing, tobe hereinafter described.

The preferred mode ofoperating the lever or cam for depressing theplunger is by apin g on wheel 9, working in a slot 9' in the long arm ofthe lever, as shown in Fig. 1; but, if desired, the plan adopted in Fig.2, in which a link g connects the lever and wheel, may be employed toadvantage.

When the machine is particularly designed. for forming loops of leatherand similar material for harness, 860., the anvil portion of thestandard 1 is provided with means for folding the ends of the strip laidthereon and for holding such strip in position with the ends abutting orin juxtaposition until the staples are inserted. In Fig. l a die 10 isplaced on the anvil portion of the standard having the raised portions hh on each side,and lying in proximity to the die on each side are thefolding-arms 11 7;, supported 011 the standard and operating when thestrip has been pressed into the die to fold the ends over flat, as shownin Fig. 4, and retain them in this position until the head and plungerdescend and insert the staples, suitable slots or openings I I beingformed in the folding-blades for the passage of the staples.

The folders are operated periodicallyby the wheel 9, a wedge-shaped cambeing formed on its periphery, which as the wheel rotates enters betweenthe inwardly-turned ends 7? t" of the arms 1? and rotates the same,turning the blades in over the die. Before the cam 7i; has passed theplunger descends and inserts the staples.

Instead of rotating the folding-arms as just described, it is obviousthat they may be, as shown in Fig. 5, pivoted together or to the frameat approximately their centers, and have a movement toward and from eachother without any rotary movement; but the devices first mentioned arefound to give better results, and are therefore preferably employed.

It is essential that some device be employed around which the loop canbe formed, and which will serve to clinch the ends of the staples, suchas a clamping-rod or bar 12, having its rear end connected loosely tothe rod or extension 14, provided with the hook 15, engaging theprojection 16 on the wheel to reciprocate the said bar and thestrip-feed ing mechanisms, which latter will be presently described.This bar 12, besides being moved longitudinally, is capable of anoscillatory movement up and down, such movement being caused by thelever m, pivoted in the standard and having the extended arm mencircling the bar a short distance back of the die, a spring m engagingsaid lever, serving to keep the bar normally elevated, and a spring mserving to keep it normally pressed forward over the die. The cam is,

engaging the lever in, depresses the bar or clamp and forces the striplying across the die down into the same in position to have the endsfolded in, and after the stapling operation the projection 16, engagingthe end of the extension or rod, as aforesaid, draws the bar or clampout, and the loop, coming in contact with the encircling arm m, ispushed off the said bar or clamp.

A mechanism for feeding the blanks is provided, consisting of thecarrying-arms 0, moving in guides 0' on the side of the standard andconnected at their rear ends to the rod 14, which gives thecarrying-arms the necessary reciprocating movement. The forward ends ofthe carrying-arms are provided with teeth or projectionsp, which engagethe blank or strip and draw it forward to a position over the die inposition to be folded, as before described.

If desired, a hopper may be provided for the strips, as shown in Fig. 2,and the teeth or proj ections p be arranged to engage only the bottomone and draw it forward, as will be understood upon an inspection ofsaid Fig. 2.

The mechanism for operating the various parts may be changed and alteredin various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention-asshown, for instance, in Fig. 2, wherein it will be particularly notedthat besides the difference in the plunger-depressing mechanism beforepointed out the bar and feed operating devices are separate and som ewhat altered, the bar being in this case mounted to slide freely in abearing 0", pivoting in the standard, the projection on the Wheel forwithdrawing it, however, being the same, and is so arranged in bothinstances that when the wheel has rotated to the proper point the curvedsurface s will throw the hook out of engagement and allow the bar toreturn to normal position. The rod t for operating the feeding devicesin Fig. 2 is operated by the projection 15 on the periphery of the wheelout of the line of the lever.

In the modification Fig. 6 the sides of the die are dispensed with andthe folding arms are bent at substantially right angles at the points4), and are adapted, after the bar has clamped the strip in place, tofold the same clear over the top, as shown.

From the above description the operation of the machine will be readilyunderstood; but for the sake of clearness I will set forth, briefly, thesequence of operations performed by the machine in making aharness-loop.

Assuming that the parts arein the position shown in Fig. 2, the firstmovement is of the feeding-arms, which carry the blank forward to aposition over the die and then being released from the projection 15immediately retreat; the cam on the wheel then comes in contact with thelever and moves the bar down, clamping the blank and forcing it into thedie; the folding-arms being then operated on by the cam fold the ends ofthe blank over the bar and hold them in such position plungerreciprocating therein, the head.

'the staple ahead and into the leather, the

head forming the staple support and guides. As the plunger rises thespring moves the headagain to normal position.

It is obvious that the equivalent of the elements, going to make up thecomplete machine herein described may be employed without departing fromthe spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be understoodas limiting myself to the particular devices Set forth. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Thecombination, with the reciprocating plunger of a staple-driver and thehead mounted looselythereon with the staple-guides therein, of thestationary staple-hoppers registering withsaid guides, the detent havingthe two projections for engaging the staples, the spring for holding thedetent depressed, and the projection on the head engaging the detent toelevate the same and release the bottom staple, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combinatiomwith the standard, the

mounted on the plunger and provided with the staple-guides in line withthe plunger, and side passages leading into said guides, of thestationary staple hopper located above the head and registering withsaid side passages when the plunger is elevated, the detent engaging thestaples in the hopper to retain the same, and the projection on the headengaging said detent to release a staple, substantially as described.

3. In a loop-forming machine, the combination, with the bifurcatedplunger, of the head mounted loosely thereon with the parallelstaple-guides therein in which the arms of the said plunger work,whereby two or more parallel staples may be inserted by a single strokeof the plunger, substantially as described.

4. In a loop-forming machine, the combination, with the bifurcatedplunger, of the head mounted loosely thereon with the parallelstaple-guides therein, in which the arms of the plunger work, wherebytwo parallel staples may be inserted by one stroke of theplunger, andthe spring for keeping the head in position located between thebifurcated arms of the plunger, substantially as described.

5. In a loop-forming machine, the combithe folding-arms with the fingersfor folding the ends of the blank over the bar or clamp,- whereby thestaples maybe inserted into the loop between said fingers withoutreleasing the folding-arms, substantially as described.

7; In a loop-forming machine, the combination, with the die, the bar orclamp around which the blanks are Wrapped, and the folding-arms, of thearm adapted to engage the loop on the bar or clamp for discharging thesame, substantially as described.

8. In a loop-forming machine, the combination, with the standard andstapling de-- vice working therein, of the die, the bar or clamp for theblank, the pivoted folding-arms,

the arms for feeding the blanks to the die,

and the arm for discharging the completed loop, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

9. In a loop-forming machine, the combination, with the stapling devicehaving the parallel staple-guides and bifurcated plunger, as described,of the die for the loop, and the folding-arms for bending the blank intoshape beneath the staple-driver, whereby the loop may be secured at twopoints by one stroke the wheel, of the die, the folding-arms having theextended ends engaging a cam on the wheel, and the bar or clampdepressed by the wheel and having the extended portion engaging aprojection on said wheel whereby it is withdrawn, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

11. In a loop-forming machine, the combination, with the stapling deviceand operating-wheel having the cam thereon, of the die, the bar or clamphaving the extended part engaging a projection on the wheel, whereby itis moved longitudinally, and the lever engaging the cam on said wheeland embracing the bar or clamp for depressing the same, substantiallyasdescribed.

12. In a loop-forming machine, the combination, with the stapling deviceand operating-wheel having the cam thereon, of the die, the bar or clampengaging the wheel whereby it is moved longitudinally in one direction,and a spring for moving it in the opposite direction, a lever engaging acam on said wheel and embracing the bar or clamp to depress the same,and the folding-arms, substantially as described.

13. In a loop-forming machine, the combination, with the stapling deviceand operating-Wheel, of the folding-arms moved by the wheel to fold theblank, the feeding-arms for presenting the blank to the die andfoldingarms, and the projection on the Wheel for moving saidfolding-arms, substantially as described.

1-1. In a loop forming machine, the combination, with the staplingdevice and operating-wheel, of the die, the blank-feedingarms, the baror clamp connected to said arms, the extended portion engaged by thewheel to operate said feeding-arms and clamp, and the folding-arms,substantially as described.

15. In a loop-forming machine, the eo1nbination, With theoperating-Wheel, die, clamp, and foldingarms, of the hopper for theblanks, and the feeding-arms adapted to engage the lowermost blank inthe hopper, substantially described.

IAM o. MILLER.

\Vitnessesz 'II. F. IIUXALL, Tnos. LANE.

